Hirsh debut over; Astros need to continue “April” feeling

Jason Hirsh got his major league debut out of the way on Saturday. Nothing spectacular, but hopefully the Astros will win enough over the next 10-12 games that Garner can afford to let him get his feet on the ground. Is there a better option for the #5 spot? I don’t think so, especially since Fernando Nieve has been tagged for late-game pitching. Former Astros’ starters Wandy Rodriguez and Taylor Buchholz continue to struggle at Round Rock.

And remember, before he went on his franchise record 12-game win streak at Round Rock, Hirsh started the season at 1-2, so a little adjustment period is acceptable, again, if the Astros can afford it.

The Astros announced that Preston Wilson is the odd man out when they activated Hirsh on Saturday afternoon. It’s not surprising given that Wilson has been on the bench often during the past few weeks (he has only eight at-bats this month). The Astros plan to carry 12 pitchers for the foreseeable future.

Still, that feeling is in the air. It’s April again in Houston! The Astros resemble the Astros we saw in April, when they sprinted out to a 19-9 start. But what has made the difference? There were no trades at the deadline, but there have been several notables factors to this Astros’ August Launch.

 The Astros are hitting .292 in August and lead the majors with 21 home runs in the month. Only red-hot Los Angeles (.299) and Philadelphia (.297) are better in the National League. If you were among those who blamed Gary Gaetti for the poor hitting in May and June, you have to credit Sean Berry with the resurgence of hitting now.

 So how much did Jeff Bagwell‘s visit a few weeks ago in San Diego make anyway? Obviously it pumped a life into the team for a short while, but did it light a larger spark? Incidentally, I wrote back in May that the absence of Clemens’ and Bagwell’s leadership in the dugout was significant. I still think that leadership was not replaced substantially by other players and it left a void.

 Roger Clemens‘ return June 22 obviously played a role. This pitching staff has turned things around over the last several weeks and his influence and example cannot be overlooked. Still a little scary at times (especially Lidge), but you gotta like what you’re seeing most of the time.

 Phil Garner has finally found a lineup he likes and he’s sticking with it. Preston Wilson has made only two starts (with 8 ABs all month) and the likeable Mike Lamb has been relegated to bench duty with his .316 average. He hasn’t had a start since August 3 when Berkman came off the disabled list. Remember Chris Burke? He’s had a couple of spot starts on days Craig Biggio takes a rest; otherwise, he’s a late-inning defensive replacement.

Burke, Wilson and Lamb have over 240 ABs and were an integral part of the first half. Their replacements — Willy Taveras, Luke Scott and Aubrey Huff — are now a critical part to this late-season run.

 Speaking of Huff, how much difference did his acquisition make? You may say “little”, but consider that he added another left-handed bat and gives Garner added flexibility. He’s hitting .324 in August and, historically, he’s a second-half guy (.301 career after the break). And there’s always that “chemistry” thing.

 And that brings us to Luke Scott. There’s nothing better for a listless, lagging team than a shot of carefree, youthful exuberance. Does anyone see a little of a young Biggio in our Mr. Scott? Hustle, smile, playing the game “right”? He’s definitely a “fuse-lighter”. It doesn’t hurt that he hit .385 in July and is on a .444 tear in August thus far.

 Consider also that the confusion surrounding the Astros at the trade deadline — and the fact they made no moves — may have triggered a spark. Lidge, Ensberg, Taveras, Huff, Everett, Oswalt — and even Clemens — were all mentioned in the days leading up to the trade deadline. There’s something about a team saying they might like to play without you that turns your motivation into an “I’ll prove you wrong”. Especially in the cases of Ensberg, Lidge and Taveras.

Whatever the difference-maker, the next challenge will be to sustain this run. But then again, if the Astros sustain the run, there won’t be any last-day miracles to match 2004 and 2005.

It wouldn’t bother me to claim a division title or even a wild-card berth sometime in mid-September though.